Fear of doggy stairs

[CaseyKC]

I was recently given a set of doggy stairs to assist with getting on and off of a high bed. My bed is way too high for Libby to jump up, she needs to be lifted up, but for the past few months, since we returned from vacation, she has been jumping off the bed and onto the floor. I worry that she will hurt her back doing this. When I mentioned this to a friend, she gave me her extra set of doggy stairs. Libby is scared to death of them. I started out putting a treat on each step (3,) and one on the bed close to the edge near the stairs. She will take the treats from the first two steps, and sometimes from the top step, but will not take the final step onto the bed. Last night I wouldn't lift her onto the bed at bedtime, got into bed myself, turned out the light and fell asleep. At 1AM she began to whine, woke me up, so I repeated the treat thing again on the steps. She still wouldn't take the final step onto the bed, so I caved in and lifted her up to the bed in the interest of both of us getting some sleep. Besides using treats, does anyone have a good idea how to get Libby to use the doggy stairs for their intended purpose? I should mention that she has no problems doing house stairs from the first to second floor, although I usually carry her up and down if I see her about to run up or down, again as a preventative measure to possible back injury..

 

[Nell]

As you have always lifted her on the bed she probably thinks she is not allowed on the bed unless you lift her on. Her whining was probably her asking your permission to get on the bed and when you got out and lifted her up your actions said to her "OK then, you CAN come up"

You could try two things, put you hands either side of her like you do when you are going to pick her up and "walk" her up the stairs and on the bed, or try putting her lead on and walk her up and down the steps and on and off the bed (with a treat under her nose of course lol). Once she gets the idea its OK to get on and off the bed without you lifting her, she will be up and down in no time

 

[lucerogina]

That's what I did with Elliott. I walked him up or down and said use your ramp. Once he got all the way up or down I praised him like he has cured cancer. Now I can just saw use your ramp and he just does what he needs to.


Loving my Elliott,
Gina

 

[CaseyKC]

Libby will now go UP the doggy stairs if I have my hands on either side of her, but NEVER by herself. As far as going down the stairs, she absolutely refuses to go anywhere near the side of the bed where they are located. If I put treats on the steps when she is on the bed, she will go to the side of bed opposite the stairs, jump off the bed, trot around and face the stairs sideways and take the treats from the bottom two steps. The whole reason for this exercise was to stop her from jumping off the bed in the first place. Maybe this is a true case of "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," although she is only 8yo. I am thinking of having a ramp made and covering it with carpet, and if that doesn't meet with Libby's approval, maybe replacing my bed and getting a new bed that is low to the floor, although I hate to do that because my bed is a beautiful antique.